Speed-indicator.



No. 800,040. v PATENTBD SEPT. 19, 1905.-

N. YOUNG.

SPEED INDICATOR. ArPmoAnon FILED JAN. 28, 1005.

snuanl'oz thereto.

PATENT oFFroE.

NATHANIEL YOUNG, OF NEWMARKET, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

Application filed January 28, 1906. Serial No. 248,070.

To aZZ whom, it may cncern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at N ewmarket, in the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to speed-indicators designed especially for use upon automobiles, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character which may be readily applied, one which will accurately indicate the attained speed of the machine and respond readily to variations in such speed, and one which is wholly free from liability of becoming disordered.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a motorvehicle having my-improved indicator applied Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the indicator. Fig. 3 is a horizontal transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the hand or pointer and its stem. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the rotary hub. Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a motor-vehicle having a bottom 2 and a running-gear including axles 3 and transportingwheels 4, these parts, which are conventionally shown herein, being of the usual or any preferred construction and material.

Attached to one of the wheels 4 for rotation therewith is a friction-gear 5, frictionally engaged with a corresponding pinion 6, supported by a bearing 7 and attached for imparting motion to a flexible operating-shaft 8, having a rigid vertical portion 9 extended through the bottom 2 of the vehicle and journaled for rotation in a suitable bearing 10, depending from the bottom of a casing 11, which incloses the mechanism to be described of the speedindicator. Provided upon the top 12 of the casing is a graduated dial 13, over which is arranged for movement a hand or pointer 14, designed to register upon the dial the speed in miles per hour of the vehicle, said'pointer being fixed upon a squared stem 15, which fits in a corresponding socket 16, formed centrally and longitudinally through a cylindrical member or barrel 17, arranged for rotation within a fixed sleeve 18, sustained within the casing 11 to nected by links 24 with the upper end of the shaft 9, the weights and sleeve 21 being through the link connections fixed for rotation with the shaft 9, while upon the sleeve 21 there is provided a pair of inwardly-projecting pins or studs 25, designed to travel in a peripheral groove 26, formed in the surface of the barrel 17 at a point adjacent the normally lower end of the latter.

In practice and during travel of the vehicle the shaft Swill, owing to its operative engagement by means of the friction-gear and pinion with the ground-wheel 4, be driven by the latter and will in turn impart a rotary motion to the shaft 9, the speed of the latter shaft being of course properly timed to accord with the speed of the vehicle. As the shaft 9 rotates it will impart a corresponding movement to the governor-weights 23 and sleeve 21, and of course as this speed increases the weights 23 will, as is common in governors of this type, move outward through centrifugal force, thus drawing the sleeve 21 downward, the barrel 17 being at the same time drawn downward owing to engagement of the pins 25 with the groove 26. Downward movement of the barrel 17 serves, through the action of pin 19 within the spiral groove 20, to impart a movement to the barrel 17 for causing travel of the hand 14 over the face of the dial 13, to thus indicate the attained speed of the vehicle. As the speed decreases the weights will, through the medium of aspring 27, be returned to normal position, thus reversing the movement of the parts and moving the hand backward to normal position. It will be observed in this connection that the governor mechanism will respond readily to variations in the speed of the vehicle and will thus accurately move the hand for indicating such speed, and, furthermore, that as the parts are of simple nature and their number reduced to a minimum liability of the device becoming disordered and rendered imperfect in action is materially reduced, if not wholly obviated.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a simple eflicient device which will admirably perform its functions to the attainment of the ends in view, it being understood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a speed-indicator, a rotary shaft, a fixed sleeve, a second sleeve slidable thereon, a stud provided on the fixed sleeve, a barrel housed in the latter and connected for movement with the slidable sleeve, said barrel having a spiral groove engaged by the stud for rotating the barrel during longitudinal movement of the same, governor-weights connected with the slidable sleeve and shaft and operable by the latter for moving the sleeve and barrel, a pointer operatively engaged .With and movable by the barrel, and a dial over which the pointer moves.

2. In a speed-indicator, a rotary shaft, a fixed sleeve, a barrel housed and movable longitudinal therein, a stud carried by one of said parts and the other havinga spiral groove engaged by said stud for rotating the barrel during longitudinal movement of the latter, a second sleeve slidable upon the first-named sleeve and connected with the barrel for moving the same, governor-weights connected with the slidable sleeve and shaft and operable by the latter for moving the sleeve and barrel, a pointer operatively engaged with and movable by the barrel, and a dial over which the pointer moves.

3. In a speed-indicator, a rotary shaft, a fixed sleeve, a second sleeve slidable thereon, a stud provided on the fixed sleeve, a barrel housed in the latter and connected for movement with the slidable sleeve, said barrel having a non-circular axial opening and provided with a spiral groove engaged by the stud for rotating the barrel during longitudinal movement of the same, governor-Weights connected with the slidable sleeve and shaft and operable by the latter for moving the sleeve and barrel, a stem of cross-sectional form corresponding to and slidably seated in the axial opening in the barrel, a pointer fixed upon the stem for rotary movement with the NATHANIEL YOUNG.

Witnesses:

C. E. TASKER, ANDREW J. I/VATTERsoN. 

